M10 - Backwash
Part 1 : We’re in Aether?! How the hell did Daichi get ‘Aether’ out of ‘Sazanami’?? : Master Hu Shen did tell us he wasn’t fully repaired. He might be lacking psychic energy, or maybe his sense of direction is still off-kilter. : Does it even matter? Point is, it happened, and we still have to get to Sazanami pronto. : But how? We shouldn’t use Daichi, it’s not safe. : Mom’s right. We’re lucky the lump of clay didn’t drop us out of the sky, better not test fate. : How ‘bout Artiphron? I betcha Offucia would let us borrow a ship again. : It would take too long, we’d never make it in time. : There is one way we could go. Everyone stops, looking to Nicholas, and the prince shifts uncomfortably for a moment before regaining his confidence. : The same way Bon and I got to Sazanami in the first place. : You mean through the deadly vortexes that almost smashed your boats to pieces? : Uhh, yes, that one. : Swell. If that’s the best idea we have-- : --it’s the only idea we have, and you know it! Think about it, Wei Guang is probably going to go the usual route to Sazanami, by going around the whirlpools and landing in Nobuhide’s lands. If we cut through them and go straight to Sho’s land, we might be able to catch up to him, or at least get there around the same time. : … You’re right. There’s no way we’ll beat the Emperor’s fleet if we follow their path. We shall go through the vortexes. : Alright, then let’s get a move on, we have to go! : Not so fast -- we need to prepare ships and provisions. Sounds like we have a rough journey ahead of us, so it will take all night to get ourselves ready. : Leave that to me. I will go to the port, start getting people to work on the preparations; my wings can get me there faster than the others can walk. : (clapping a claw on Alaric’s shoulder) You should go to the castle and get some rest, sire. Try and find Gaius to come organize this mess out here… and you should really talk to… you know. Alaric just frowns introspectively, avoiding his friend’s gaze. The Charizard shakes off his worry, steps back, and flares his wings, flapping up over their heads and shouting at the assembled crowd. : Listen up, everyone! All those who are able should follow me to the port to help get the ships ready for tomorrow’s departure! Otherwise, return to your homes and get some rest to gather your strength! We leave at dawn! As he wheels around and starts soaring towards the port, Alaric glides towards the castle, a little slower than he ought to… He pauses after a bit, looking over his shoulder at the others still gathered at the castle’s steps. : You are all welcome to stay at the castle tonight, if you wish. : Oh no, we couldn’t impose! We will just stay at the inn, much better. : You go on ahead. I’m going to help with the preparations. : Same here. : Ooh, wait for me, guys! : (grabbing Atla’s arm) H-Hold on, Ju-long, don’t forget to come back to the inn before it gets too dark! … You hear me, young man?! : Wow, they’re quick! Don’t worry, Mom, we’ll just do what we can then I’ll drag Ju back to the inn, promise! (pulls out of Sara’s grasp and skips away) ‘Kay, bye! : H-Hold on, Atla, I want to come too. : And do what? : You k-know… Stuff. : The picture of confidence, you are, Otgon. Just come with us to the inn. : O-Okay. Mom, can I help you with some sewing tonight? : … : Mom? You alright? : A-Ah, sorry, sweetie, I… I’m just worried about your brother and sister. Especially your sister. : Eh, what’s there to worry about? (walks over with Kaito on his heels) She’s with Ju-long, one of the toughest bugs I know, and Gawain, who could probably hold his weight in a fight if he needed to. With them around, she’ll be fine. : Well… If you really think so. : I do. Kaito, you should probably go with them too, wait for me to return from the port. : (nods, then follows Mu and Otgon down the path into the rest of Aether) : Wait a moment, I’m coming! : Sara, can I ask a favor? : What is it? : … Kaito. Watch him for me, alright? : Oh… Don’t worry, I will. : Thank you, ‘preciate it. Bon hurries to catch up with Ju-long and the others while Sara scuttles after Otgon, Mu, and Kaito… leaving Alaric alone on the castle’s steps. He sighs, knowing what he must do but quite reluctant to do so -- and with good reason, he believed. But the sky was already beginning to turn an orangish-pink, so with another sigh, Alaric heads into the castle, following the familiar halls and nodding towards bewildered servants before going into his study where Gaius is talking with Jackson. : I have found some truly interesting information on Sazanami and its history with the sub-kingdom of Yamatai -- why have you never told us of this, Jackson? : Easy: you never asked. : At any rate, I will need to send correspondence to the king as quickly as I can; this information could be useful for his efforts in Sazanami. : Well, lucky for you, he’s saved you the effort of sending him a letter -- hiya, Alaric! : ALARIC!? My stars, sire, you STARTLED me! : My apologies, Gaius… It’s good to see you. : The same goes for me, but milord, pardon my asking, but what are you doing here? : It’s a very long story, Gaius, but the short of it is that I teleported from Sazanami to Gāng-Tiě and back to here again, on the search for secret heirs of Gāng-Tiě, but now I have to get back to Sazanami before Wei Guang razes it to the ground. : Oh, is that all! : Sounds delightfully confusing~! : The ship to head back to Sazanami is being prepared as we speak. But I need to send a letter using our fastest messenger to discover the location of Wei Guang’s fleet. : To whom? Offucia? : No, to Count Dracul. I’m sure that, with his connections, he’ll know exactly where the Gāng-Tiě ships are. : Then I suggest that we send the Unfezant, the one with the Dedenne always on his shoulder. Not only is he fast, but he’s been quite insistent to deliver any messages regarding what is befalling Sazanami.. : Really? : Indeed. If you recall, sire, he is originally from Sazanami. When you wrote your letter to me, he was quite adamant in his request to deliver my response to you. Of course, I haven’t had the chance to write back yet, but I suspect that his worry for his homeland is influencing his actions, as he likely sees this as a way to return there to check on his family without abandoning his post. : Interesting. Wonder if he’s related to the warlord Takeshi… : Speaking of family… Milord, you really should speak with-- : (sighing) I know what you’re going to say -- and you’re right, I shall talk to her. : I’m just nervous. : Hey, don’t panic, Alaric. She’s probably just as nervous as you are. : Or, you know, she could still be royally peeved! : Can I blame her? : You should still try, milord. : … I will. I want to. I was going to ask you what’s been happening in Aether in my absence, but I’ll ask her instead. : Very good, sire. : In the meantime, Gaius, I’d like you to go to the port and help Gawain with the preparations, make sure everything goes smoothly. Both bug and ghost bow before exiting the study, and Alaric leaves for the throne room with renewed purpose. His motions are fluid as he slithers as fast as he can, reaching the double doors leading to the throne room in record time… only to pause, hesitation gripping him all at once. Tail tip hovering inches from the door, he finds himself unable to knock, frozen with indecision: was it too late to turn away? : KING ALARIC?! Apparently yes, as Maeve suddenly rushes at him from the hall, eyes practically popping from her skull. : Do ya have any IDEA wha’ you’ve put milady through? You left withou’ so much as a howdy-do, and now you DARE to just crawl back -- just lik’ TH’T?! : Maeve, I know that you are just sticking up for your master, but remember who you are speaking to: I am king of Aether. : Oh, I rememb’r all right -- and I think she’ll rememb’r too! All at once, Maeve pulls open the doors and shoves Alaric into the throne room. She closes the doors before he can even get a word in edgewise -- he can even hear a lock click within the door, he didn’t even know it HAD a lock! -- and now he’s stuck inside the throne room. But he’s not alone. : … Alaric? He turns: Tara is by the throne, staring at him, jaw slightly slack. Awkwardly raising his tail tip, Alaric shakes it in a brief wave. : Hello, my love. At the sound of his voice, Tara jerks, a quick shudder running up her scales. Eyebrows knitting together, she harrumphs and turns away from him. : So. The prodigal king returnsss. : (slithering towards her) Yes, Tara, I am back, but not for very long, I must return to Sazanami, to finish what I’ve started-- : What, you came to pick up sssomething you left behind? (flinging her hood wide) Then by all meansss, take it and be on your way! : That’s not fair. : Not fair? Not FAIR! I’ll tell YOU what’sss not fair! Running off to some adventure while I wait helplessssly for your return -- IF you ever returned! : I didn’t ask for this, Tara, it was shoved upon me when I got here! : Poor Alaric, saddled with a dessstiny that he didn’t want -- do you want me to feel SSSORRY for you?! : A little sympathy would be nice, yes. : I understand your frustration, believe me, welcome to my world, but I’m doing the best I can -- : It’sss not good enough -- : Let me finish!! Would it KILL you to let me get a word in edgewise?! : … : As you wisssh... : Oh Tara, I… : I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Not by yelling at you, or leaving you here to rule in my stead. : Then why? Why didn’t you tell me what wasss going on right away? : I thought you might… leave. : (nervous laugh) Here I am, fresh off the boat from a failed kingdom far away, and I’m given this huge prophecy, one that only I can fulfill! So on top of rebuilding my people, I’m supposed to fix this world too?! No woman would EVER want to get involved with something like THAT! : After all, who wants to marry someone who has the weight of the world on his shoulders? Too much baggage for any one ‘mon to carry. Alaric lowers his head, turning to slither away… only to be stopped by a soft kiss on his cheek. : Then don’t carry it alone. : Huh? : Have you forgotten our vowsss already? I am your wife, through thick and thin; if something affectsss you, it affectsss me too. : And if you need to sssave the world -- we’ll do it together. Alaric and Tara embrace, winding around one another in a tight, almost desperate hug. The king squeezes his eyes shut, drinking in the moment -- but it’s over too quick, and his wife pulls away, winking at him teasingly, all anger forgotten. : But from now on, keep me in the loop about everything -- starting with what you’ve done ssso far in Sazanami! : That I will happily do, my love. : Good. (raising her voice) Maeve, you can unlock the door now! The double doors click, and Maeve pushes them open, grinning madly. : Wit’ pleasure, Tara! : What? Were you there the whole time? : You bet -- never knew ya had such a sof’ side, sire. : *ahem* : (giggling) Excuse usss, Maeve. Alaric and I have much to discussss. Tangling their tail tips together, both snakes leave the throne room, gliding past a still-smirking Maeve. They are already talking, Alaric telling the story as expressively as possible, and they will be talking until well past sunset… Next morning, everyone gathers at the port, a trio of ships floating on the calm Aether waters. Those traveling back to Sazanami are already on the ship -- with the exception of Alaric, giving his wife one last kiss. After pulling apart, he goes up the gangplank, Tara waving goodbye enthusiastically, and the Serperior is almost hanging over the side of the ship as he reflects the gesture. Nicholas joins his side, also waving to the various castle staff assembled on the dock, and Bon leans on the railing on Alaric’s other side. : The queen actually looks like she isn't drowning in her own broody-misery, which is a bloody miracle in that family, apparently. (glances at Alaric) Did you have anything to do with that? : T-That is no question to ask a king! : … well, you can’t be Super Snakey Daddy Supreme without knowing how to coil, I suppose. : Oi, Bon, get your froggy butt up here and steer this ship! : Welp, duty calls me yet again. C’mon, kid, could use your help with the sails. : Alright! Shouts rise up and down the ship, sails snapping to positions at Gawain’s command. The cries travel to the other two ships, their own occupants hurrying to their posts, and Bon whoops loud before calling for the anchors to pull up. Minutes later, they are sailing, and Alaric is straining to catch a glimpse of those standing on the harbor, watching even as they disappear into the horizon... : Think they will be alright? : They survived before, so I’m sure they won’t give up the ghost this time either! : Jackson, we need to talk about your choice of words. : I know they will. : … Hey, anyone seen Chuck and Dac aroun’? They missed the whole thing! : Oh dear, Charles will be quite disappointed to have missed seeing Prince Nicholas before he set off… : (thinking) “He’s right! Should I tell Darwing that the prince is okay?” The Gengar drops away into a shadow, hiding in the ceiling of the classroom where Darwing chats with Dac, the poor bug’s eyes glazing over from the one-sided conversation… and Jackson allows himself a grin. : (thinking) “Nahhhh!” ---- Part 2 If it was possible, the journey through the deadly vortexes is even worse than it was the first time. Waves thrash and churn under the ships, bucking them up and down like toys on the ocean, and for the first seven days, it poured endlessly, driving most of the travelers below deck and leaving Bon with only Kaito, Ju-long, and Nicholas to help him. Now, as they near Sazanami, the rain has lightened to a heavy drizzle, and Bon grips the wheel tight, yelling over the sound of the crashing waves to the others on the deck as they huddle under the awning over the captain’s quarters: : Kaito, adjust the mizzen mast sail on the starboard side! Ju-long, same for port side! : Ooh, ooh, what ‘bout me, what can I do?! : Um, go help your brother and try not to fall over again. : (saluting) Aye-aye, skipper! : Might want to send someone to the aft, pretty sure we’re taking on water. : Lizard McAlways-Mean-To-Me, you’re up -- go take care of that little leak. : (holding a tarp over his hindquarters) Oi, in case you haven’t noticed, my tail’s taking on water! I can’t go out there, not like this! : It’s alright, Bon, I can do it! : (holding Nicholas back for a moment) You’ll be careful, won’t you? : ‘Course, I did this lots of times on the first trip, easy! : Besides, we need all hands on deck to get us to Sazanami! : Alright, do what you can. : Take Kaito with you -- you done over there, Kai? : (gives the ‘okay’ symbol then follows Nicholas gingerly across the tilting deck) : Hey, Mister Sensitive Firebutt, if you can’t make yourself useful up here like everyone else, go back below deck and check on that Unfezant messenger, maybe he’s up from his nap, though I doubt it, most birds tend to scream when they wake up and I can’t hear any of that, so maybe wake him up if he isn’t already. : (whining) But Sara’s down there with him, and it’s too small and cramped, plus that Dedenne with him is annoying as -- : No one likes a complainer. : Oh fine, let me know when we get there... (grumbling as he stomps below deck) : (walking up to Alaric and ducking under the awning) It is good that your messenger was able to catch up to us in time. : Agreed. Though I wish Dracul hadn’t held him up so much… : Still, to know that my theory was right and Wei had only reached Voluntas on the day we left -- it bodes well. : Our luck is holding out for us. : I only hope that it stays with us for the rest of the -- : Look, over there. The Leavanny leans precariously over the nearby railing, having wandered away without anyone noticing and pointing out over the horizon. : I see it, that’s-- : A-Ah! A rough motion of the ship causes Otgon to fall forward, and Ju-long leaps to grab his brother’s ankles -- along with Atla, who wraps her arms around Otgon’s waist -- both siblings working together to hoist him up. : You crazy, Otgon, you could’ve died!! : S-Sorry, sis. It’s just… there’s shore. : The water-drawn bug is right. Kaito, signal the others, we’re headin’ for land! The Greninja nods, climbing up the mizzen mast and waving at the other two ships following close behind. Responding signals are sent, and all three vessels rotate towards the speck of land in the distance. The speck morphs into a strip, then a stretch, until finally the cliffs leading up to Sho’s lands can be seen, dark and imposing in the constant rainfall. Bon manages to get all of the ships to shore, a little beaten but still sailable, and everyone leaves the boats with relief. : Congrats, everyone, we did it… for a second time. Now we just have to get going to Sho’s place. : The messenger can go on ahead, to tell him we’re here. : That would be wise, yes. Everyone jumps as the Surskit and Venonat sisters approach from the reeds at the base of the cliff, some of them a little wary due to their last encounter with the bugs. : Huh. Déjà vu. Hello again, girls, always nice to see you two. : What are you two doing here? Shouldn’t you be with the other Semi no Tamashī? : Kamen-sama ordered us to patrol the shores, our normal routine. : Despite all that is happening. : Since Daichi was attacked during your departure, the master suspected that you would need to return to Sazanami using a different route, and these cliffs are the fastest way to get up to Sho-sama’s lands. : Which is why we are here. Our orders are to take you to Sho-sama’s palace as soon as possible. Without waiting for them, Aoi and Kyo turn and head for the cliffs. As the others follow the sisters, Alaric sends the Unfezant messenger (along with his chipper Dedenne companion) to Sho’s palace, the tired bird nodding before taking flight, then hurries to catch up with the group, reaching them just in time to hear Ju-long ask: : I take it you were able to repel the Numa no Ha who attacked Daichi? : Of course, they were no match for all of us! : But it was worrisome that they sent so few to infiltrate the village. They had to know it would not be enough ‘mons to succeed in their task. : They did succeed though-- by sacrificing themselves to try and stop us. That’s got Goro written all over it. : … : Doesn’t matter now. We’ve got to hurry. The rest of the climb is completed in silence, rain pitter-pattering on the rocks around them. Once they reach the top of the cliffs, it’s just a short walk through the soggy rice fields to the farming village, and everyone is thoroughly soaked by the time they reach the central building of the village, a massive grain storehouse. To their shock, Junpei is outside the storehouse, peering up at the heavens nervously before his gaze turns towards them in surprise. : You’re back! I can’t believe it -- and you got here before Wei! : Oh ye of little faith. I can understand why you might think that everyone else would show up late, but I would think by now that you had learned to expect more of me. : Good to see you are well, Junpei. How fares Master Hisato? : He’s fine, and so is Kamen-sama, he’s at Sho-sama’s palace. : In fact, you should go there too, to help him plan for Wei’s arrival. : We were taking them there, Junpei-san. : Good, we’ll have time to catch up later-- : --though I do have one question: where’s Daichi? Gawain takes that as his cue, growling with effort as he carries the heavy golem to Junpei and drops him in front of the tiny cicada. : Don’t worry, he’s alive. We tried to fix him in Gāng-Tiě, got him workin’ well enough to get us to Aether. : But, uh, he’s still not 100% yet. : L-Location Sazana-ami reached. Request to go to d-destination dry. : Well, let’s get him inside the storehouse -- you can dry off a bit before going to Sho-sama’s. No one needed telling twice. Junpei opens the storehouse, allowing everyone through to be wrapped by the warm, dry scent coming from the buckets of grain throughout the high-ceilinged room. In the corner, Sara immediately starts fussing over the Gāng-Tiě heirs (except Ju-long who wisely stepped away), and Alaric shades his face from Nicholas’s furious fur-shaking and Gawain’s irate wing-flapping to rid themselves of rainwater. Bon, Kaito, Aoi, and Kyo are the last ones through the door, pushing Daichi into the storehouse, and the Toxicroak snorts with laughter as Junpei closes the door behind them. : Sheesh, that’s one hell of a storm out there -- who peeved off Ryūjin this time? : It’s not Ryūjin. : Then what’s with all the waterworks? Rain like this never occurs in Sazanami without some sort of magical bunk powering it. : After you left, the conflict between Shino-sama and Isas-sama continued to rage -- and so did the storms. The rain, wind, and thunder grew more and more tumultuous, and it eventually got so dangerous that the battle had to be halted. : Though not even that stopped the warlords; they just used the weather to their advantage! Luckily Sho-sama returned to the battlefield and managed to physically step in-between them, forcing them to stop and look around to see that their armies had already stopped fighting. : It is a good thing that Sho-sama’s stance is so strong; otherwise, he would have been blown away by the storm while trying to reach them. : (shrugging) He might just be really heavy. : It’s just like the battle between the two kami so long ago, even with the third coming forward to stop them… : What do you mean? : It’s no coincidence, Alaric-sama. This storm cannot be natural -- it’s just as Master Hisato feared, the kami are angry, and the balance of Sazanami is all but lost. : I just don’t know what we can do to turn these tides anymore. Feels as though we are all about to be swept away, and I worry that the biggest wave is yet to come… There is a heavy silence as everyone reflects on Junpei’s words -- but the Nincada shakes off his melancholy, tapping an arm against Daichi. : Anyway, I will take care of Daichi here, there’s plenty for me to do with the other farmers. Kyo-san, Aoi-san, safe travels to Sho-sama’s palace. : I will go ahead, sister, to alert Kamen-sama. : Be careful, Aoi… The Surskit bobs her head before skating outside, Swift Swim taking effect as she darts off in a blue flash. As the others file back into the rain, Alaric feels Junpei’s gaze on him, and he turns to see a look of deep concentration on the ninja’s face. : Anything else, Junpei? : Huh? Oh, no, n-nothing… : (sighing) You should hurry. The cold rain shows no signs of letting up, thick clouds dumping water upon their heads without remorse, and flashes of lightning flicker high above, darting in-between booms of thunder. Walking to Sho’s palace is a miserable affair, and as they near the small town surrounding it, the feeling of loneliness is apparent, not a single person outside of their homes. In fact, there aren’t any signs of life inside the homes either, and Alaric casts nervous glances around them, an uneasy shiver rolling down his scales. : Stay close, everyone. Remain vigilant. : I don’t like the looks of this one bit. : Yeah, where are all the people? : They probably ran away. Judging by those scuffs in the road, they left in a hurry, not that I blame them, this is too much rain for most ‘mons but it’s doing wonders for my skin. : … Or there was a battle. Before anyone can comment, Kamen suddenly appears in front of them. Alaric knows he likely jumped down from a nearby roof, but the Accelgor’s speedy arrival still catches him off-guard. & : (bowing) Leader. : Hey Kamen, have fun here without me? I’d hate to know that you weren’t feeling anything but your very best without me around to help boost your spirits. Ignoring Bon, the Accelgor moves away, hurrying along the deserted streets, and Alaric and the others rush to keep up, finally reaching his side even as he continues his break-neck pace. : There is no time for delay. We must make haste to Sho-sama’s palace where Aoi is informing Sho-sama and the others of your arrival. : The others? : After he ended the battle between Isas-sama an Shino-sama, Sho-sama gathered some of the other warlords in palace, as well as the Shōgun. : Junpei told us about the battle and how it disrupted Sazanami’s balance and angered the kami and Sazanami’s people. : (The bug nods but does not look back as he continues.) Indeed, though the latter we could have predicted. The people have been increasingly displeased with their nation’s current state of affairs ever since the Emperor died. They have seen the problems of the land, fighting among the warlords, grabs for political power among the nobility, and those in power having no solutions to any of these issues and more. : It’s no secret that things have been getting worse over the years, with destruction of Yamatai, the death of the first Shōgun and many warlords, and their children and replacements having difficulties adapting to their new position of power and struggling to create lasting good relations among the other warlords. : And all of these things do not even cover the conflicts within the provinces that hurt the people the most, such as bandit raids and destructive weather patterns. : With no relief from their troubles and no one to give them answers, the people are slowly losing trust in both their rulers and their patron, the other kami as well, I would imagine. At this point, it’s overly optimistic to say that the people trust one another. : It seems like the recent assassination attempt on the Shōgun, the war between Isas-sama and Shino-sama, and the increasingly horrendous weather was their breaking point. The people are acting on all their buried anger and despair and, when someone suggested rallying together to fight for the chance to fix their current state, the people were in a desperate enough mindset to fight their leaders, and even each other. : That’s horrible! Does that mean what happened here was a battle between citizens? : Here and elsewhere. : We’ve tried to come in-between the battles to stop them, or even halt them for a short time, pausing most our missions and delegating our ‘mons to go where they normally wouldn’t in the process, but we are not enough. We cannot be everywhere, and there aren’t enough of us in the places we are in to truly make a difference. : How could we stop something like this, something that’s gone this far. How could anyon- : Gunna stop you there, Kamen, because I don’t feel like catching your disease any time soon, thanks very much. : Disease? : Yeah, since it doesn’t have a name already, I’m gunna call it “Baby ready to fall over and cry” because things are hard and they don’t like that-itus. : It appears to only affect the Sazanamese. : Do you not see the severity of the situation, frog?! : Oh, I do, trust me, but I’ve also seen worse and in many of those worse situations, the people weren’t as ready to break down as you and everyone else in Sazanami appears to be. : What do you mean by that, Bon? : Did you not notice, Fluffles? Junpei was sounding a bit desperate himself, and Kamen’s singing a similar pathetic tune himself. It sounds like the feelings of the nation’s people are getting to them, probably because they’re Sazanami and connected to the country and their patrons just as much as every other ‘mon here. Speaking of which-- : (the frog turns to Katio) --are you feeling okay, Kaito? : (The Greninja is unreactive for a moment and then holds one hand out flat in front of him before turning it from side-to-side.) : Okay, well, if you start to feel worse, let me know somehow, okay? : (The frog gives a thumbs up.) : Back on topic, my point is not only are you not helping yourself by falling into the same trap of desperation that’s got everyone else rioting, but you’re not helping us either, which I feel like, if you were to take the time to think about it, is rather inconsiderate of you since we’re all trying to help you. : In some way or another. : ... : I see your meaning, frog, I just wish it didn’t come from a tongue such as yours. : HEY! Careful on the use of the word ‘tongue’! : (tugs at his scarf awkwardly.) : I-I apologize, but we don’t have time for this-- : There’s always time to admit that I was right. : --because we’re arrived at Sho-sama’s palace. : So, Sho has gathered everyone here to make a plan together to fix this? : Not everyone… : But we will talk more inside. Sho’s home is easily picked apart from the surrounding area, not only because of its size and grandeur, but because it is the only building with lights on outside and inside of it. The rain pounds hard on the lanterns at the house’s entrance, the door to which is casting lighting onto Sho himself, who stands outside waiting for everyone. : I see you’ve all arrived. I hope everything has been explained to you at this point. : Wouldn’t that be a nice change. : I see, well, I don’t want us to have this conversation in the rain, so, please, (he motions towards the door), come in. Sho waits for Alaric to nod before he turns and enters his home, Alaric close behind him, and the two lead everyone inside. : I do truly regret us parting the way we did and on the terms we did earlier. If the situation was different, I would have explained everything to you, but Isas-san and Shino-san were doing serious damage with their battle and it was important that I returned to stop them. : As well as start on an investigation of my own, courtesy of some information that Nobuhide-san left me a letter. Though, certain circumstances did make that rather difficult… : Baah, I’m rambling. I assume by your arrival that you were successful in attaining your goal, but if that is the case, it would be best that you tell me and everyone else now. : I would say it was successful, yes, and I do believe that we have a found a way to stop Wei-Guang. The Hariyama casts a glance back at the three bugs following Ju-long closely with varying levels of interest on their faces. : If those are who I think they are, then I too would think that they could stop Wei-Guang. : But doing so will not fix the issues plaguing Sazanami itself. Plus, if Sazanami wasn’t in its current state, we wouldn’t need them to help us stop Wei Guang. We need to protect the innocent citizens that are caught between any fight that could break out with Wei-Guang, as well as any fights going on among the people. : Did you have a plan for doing so? : Something close to one, yes. Those who are fighting among themselves are simply pawns in a far larger and more dangerous plot. : If we truly wish to regain balance in this nation, then we need to find those acting behind the scenes and put them out of commission. : But this is a plan that can only succeed if another plan is successful. That is why I’ve gathered as many of us as I could here, so we could devise a strategy on finding and uprooting those pulling the strings. : Speaking of us -- (he stops at an open door way that leads into a large room dominated by a long table at which many ‘mons are sitting) -- we’ll all be meeting in here. At the head of the table sits Katsumi, who is so lost in thought that she doesn’t even spare the Aetherians a glance. The first two seats on her right are empty, but to her left is Aiko, who watches over Katsumi with a worried look on her face. Beside them is Isas, who sits with his arms crossed and both eyes squeezed shut, though he does crack one open to see the Aetherians as they enter. He mutters something quietly to Rajiu, who sits next to him, which causes the dog to sigh. Shino sits opposite Isas: he appears solemn and stiff, though that is no real change to his usual demeanor. His assistant Kita sits beside him, her tails flicking nervously as she glances around at the various ‘mons in the room. Next to her are Takeshi and Wakana, both of whom look serious, though Wakana does give Alaric an imploring glance as he enters, probably as she’s eager to learn of a certain messenger’s status. Opposite Takeshi and next to Rajiu sits Eboshi who has lost her usual confident aura and remains very still. Seated beside her is the last ‘mon at the table, Hoori, who looks very nervous and uncomfortable but does try to offer the Aetherians a smile as they enter the room... though it does nothing to lift the heavy atmosphere. : Sorry to have crashed your party, everyone -- it looks like you all were having a great time before we showed up. : Bon. : No, no, he’s right, we should not spend this time brooding in our own dark thoughts. We’ve gathered here make things better, not to drown in this sea of despair. : Well said, Takeshi-san. (The Hariyama makes his way over to the empty seats on Katsumi’s right and sits in the one nearest to Katsumi before motioning to Alaric.) Please, Alaric-san, sit. : Ah, thank you for the offer, but these seats don’t appear to have been designed with snakes in mind. I can make do by resting next to you. : Oh! Does that mean that I can sit the-- The prince stops speaking as he watches Bon sit in the seat and begins to pout. : Move faster, kid, things are going quick here and you gotta keep up. : He’s right, there is no time to falter, we must begin now. : But there are some warlords who aren’t here. The warlords and their assistants wince at Alaric’s words and cast careful looks at Katsumi. Her hands, which had been resting on crossed legs, tighten around the fabric of pants and she clenches her teeth. Takeshi and Wakana share a quick look. : Bruplinr bluuud btrk, bruspltarrl. : I… I don’t-- (The dog goes silent.) : … : (takes a deep, but quiet, breath.) : Okay, this is ridiculous. You push the whole “no time” thing and then waste time by not saying anything. Someone, c’mon, fill us in. : They will not come. : What? Why not? : After you were all knocked out, I spoke with Kamen-san about the contents of Nobuhide-san’s letter and then had him and his ninjas take you to the guild while I returned to the battle. I was able to stop the battle and Isas-san gave up on mining in the mountains for now as he saw what the battle was causing-- : Bruplinr blrpt blapz bloobplt. Bl bpbzn’t blnt bralpblon brplp btppbptlr. : He says he’s sorry (in his own special ways with words) and that he didn’t want anyone to suffer. : -- and Shino-san realized that his weather-amplified winds had caused great destruction to many things, nature among them-- : It was not my intention nor desire, but I let myself be guided by anger. I was wrong to have used the winds as I did. : -- so they ended their battle temporarily, during which time I told them of the battles going on throughout Sazanami and many of the other issues I asked Kamen-san to inform you of. : I did so, Sho-sama. : Thank you, Kamen-san. Well, once they heard of what was going on outside of their battle, the three of us arranged a temporary truce and agreed to come with me here. : Myself and Wakana arrived next, as we had a messenger with Sho-san already, and they flew back to us to let us know of this meeting. : Um, I think you might be forgetting, dear -- you arrived with Kita-san, remember? I flew ahead with Raiju-san. : Oh, yes, that’s right. Thank you for clarifying. : Once everyone was gathered, I began to fill them in on what I had learned of the situation so far from Kamen and his ‘mons, as well as what information my investigation had granted me thus far. : You keep bringing that up, you plan on filling us in on what exactly you’re investigating? : I’m getting there, Bon-san, don’t worry. : Once everyone was up to speed, Wakana-san went to the Shōgun to tell her that Ju-long was innocent, the assassination attempt against her was a lie, and she was not truly safe in palace anymore. : You flew through that storm? : Oh, yes. It was difficult, but nothing impossible. I am the best messenger of my province, after all. : I knew sending Wakana-san was the right choice, not only because she is the best messenger of Takeshi-san’s but because I knew Katsumi-san trusted her. : Though, I did tell Wakana-san not to trust anyone other than Katsumi-san and Aiko-san, and I asked her to tell Katsumi-san not to trust her advisors or tell any of them that she was leaving. : I then asked Isas-san to return to his province and travel to Eboshi-san’s province to escort her here. : Why’d she need an escort? S’little damsel in distress pushing there, Sho-san. : It’s because I’m the weakest among the warlords, the people hate me, and everyone knows that I can’t run my province without Sato. : Ah, Eboshi-san, you shouldn’t say-- : There’s no point in denying it, at this point. Everyone here knows it, and I bet they all could have figured it out in no time. : Don’t be so hard on yourself, Eboshi-san. There will be time to amend all of this once we’ve dealt with Sazanami’s biggest threats. : Whatever you say, Sho-san… : With Isas-san away getting Eboshi-san, I asked Shino-san to assist me in stopping some of the battles, as well as asking him to go speak with Hanako-san himself, as she admires him for his love and devotion to nature. : Although Hanako-san is very skilled at running her province and her people generally like her, she is not without enemies. : Yeah, her personality makes her a real pain. : … I suppose so, but I also asked Shino-san to go to her because, in his letter, Nobuhide-san feared that if our enemy got to her first, they would be able to convince her to join their cause. : During this time, I asked Takeshi-san to send messengers to Shogo-san and Kaoru-san. Something I did not foresee, unfortunately, was that by the time the messenger had reached Shogo-san, it became clear that he had heard of my involvement with a certain group of ninjas, and even claimed to have seen me working with them. : It’s no secret that Shogo-san dislikes me greatly, but with this extra push, I doubt he’ll join us now. : Fortunately, I did foresee that Shogo-san would find out and react this way, so I also instructed my messenger to relay our message to Shogo-san’s grandmother. If anyone can get through to that boy, it’s her. : I hope she can. Shogo-san is a bit childish, true, but you know as well as I do that he and his army is astonishingly strong. Fighting them would land us in a world of trouble. : And, as it turned out, Shogo-san was not the only one who had hear of my supposed treachery because, by the time Shino-san reached Hanako-san’s province, she was no longer at her palace. : Do you know where she went? : Unfortunately no: her warriors and servants were less than welcoming, so I left before I could find out. : And what of Kaoru? : We’ve had no news from her. : You don’t think she’s hiding away, do you? : Bruplinr, btro bltt. : We can’t know for certain, as we’ve not heard anything. : My messengers will let me know once they have gotten some news of her. : We also have messengers stationed in Kaoru-sama’s, Shogo-sama’s, and Hanako-sama’s lands, so if anything of importance happens, we will know soon enough. : But that still leaves out one warlord. : Gawain is right, where is Nobuhide? : He cannot come. ''Bang! One of the monkey’s balled-up fists slams into the ground suddenly. Katsumi looks downwards, shaking with anger, teeth clenched so hard that it looks painful.'' : Chikushō! : … Why? The snake glances around at the ‘mons at the table hoping for answers. Everyone is silent and somber, except for Hoori, who clenches his eyes shut and grips his clothes hard. : Ichikawa Nobuhide is dead.